


Bone Marrow

by Mothrianna



Category: Naruto
Genre: (don't worry it's healthy), ? - Freeform, Demons, F/M, Ghosts, Ghouls, M/M, Molestation, Neglectful Parents, Polyamorous relationship, Spirits, Unhealthy sibling relationship, Vampires, Werewolves, Witchcraft, Witches, incest and a lot of pining, watch out there's incest, will add more as i go along - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-06-01
Packaged: 2018-04-01 17:33:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4028680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mothrianna/pseuds/Mothrianna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The duality of the world was something beautiful. A coin wouldn't be a coin unless there were two sides. The world wouldn't be whole unless there was a light and a dark. </p>
<p>She'd been living in the light so long, almost ignoring the fact that her family had always had a foot in the dark. But she'd been thrown headfirst into it. Once one accepted the Craft, assimilating back into the mundane becomes merely a dream. Wishful thinking. </p>
<p>It'd been years since the last time he'd lived in the light. He was young when he'd been reborn. They said that the older one got, the harder it was to maintain human-like behavior. Once you hit one hundred, it stops being a priority. It was yet another thing to look forward to in the long, long life he had before him. </p>
<p>He was fairly young. The forest had just become his. His territory stretched for miles. He'd never met another like himself, even though he'd heard stories. Not quite man. But not quite wolf. He was told that his existence would be a lonely one. The darkness would claim his mind and he would become nothing more than a beast. </p>
<p>They were only but clueless children.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Save Me

                “Xira! Stop _whining_! Just deal with it, okay. Just this once? For me? I promise, I’ll do whatever you want after this. I’ll owe you. Just do this one thing with me?” Xira stared her older cousin in the eyes as he pleaded to her in a low whisper. She was severely uncomfortable with this. Being surrounded by people she didn’t know. These people from a different school. Darren’s friends from that fancy private school. She loved her cousin, and she would do almost anything for him. But this was a bit much for her. Hanging out with such foreign, intimidating characters. It made her anxious.

                These people were of the type that she’d never associate herself with. They seemed a little (a lot, actually) out of her league. These charming, beautiful personalities. People who had nice lives. Who did charity for Honors Societies and hung out with friends. Who people looked up to in school. Who people strove to be. They most certainly didn’t spend most of the best years of their lives playing computer games and blogging. They didn’t sit around alone every weekend, texting their one friend all day. They were important. Important people did important things. And important people especially didn’t subject themselves to self-pitying inner monologues about how much better others are.

                She sighed as she walked alongside her cousin. She was uncomfortable. Not only because of the unfamiliar faces around her, but also because they were doing something far from her personal boundaries of “fun”. Their idea of “fun” was entirely different. This was a stupid mistake. This was something that could possibly get them arrested, or worse, killed. Sneaking into abandoned buildings for the sake of something to pass the time. Her heart was throbbing wildly in her chest all the while. She was afraid. What if they got caught? What if the police, or someone far more sinister, found them. Of course, they found their strength in numbers, there being at least a dozen of them heading towards the large building, but still. She believed in the supernatural. And this place teemed with such an evil that she could feel the malice seeping into her very pores.

                People have died in this old, weather-worn place. Vines curled and crept up its walls, all reaching for the heavens above, as if they were the arms of downed souls, trapped underneath the weight of the dilapidated hospital and reaching for their salvation. She could almost hear their cries. Their hoarse voices, raspy and laden with sickened coughing. She could feel the agony, the grief of sickness. It left her with such a depressed, hollow feeling with only a mere look. It reminded her of all the things she wanted desperately to ignore. Sickness was a cruel mistress alone. And when accompanied by human curiosity and cruelty, it seemed as if the rise of such a corrupted facility was unavoidable.

                She shot another glance at her dear cousin. She loved him so much. But this… She guessed she could deal with it. If it was for Darren, then she could deal. He really liked that person. He really wanted to come. But for that to happen, he had to bring her along too, according to their parents. But he liked a person by the name of Neji. For quite some time now. So she could do this one thing for him, if it meant that he could be happy with someone. It was something that she’d never be able to achieve at this point in time. So the most she could do was help her cousin achieve such a feat.

                “Okay.” She mumbled. Her cousin, nearly a mirror of herself, beamed. “Thanks, Sis’.” Though cousins, they liked to refer to one another as siblings. They were closer than mere cousins. They were practically raised together. He hugged the girl tightly. “You won’t regret this, I promise. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll take you to go see that movie you wanted to watch. The one with all the ice princesses!” She shook her head with a smile and corrected him, telling him the actual name of the movie. When he released his hold on her, she dryly laughed, smiled unenthusiastically and turned her head to the late-afternoon sky. She watched as a jet sailed through it, cutting through the oranges and pinks of dusk with a white trail of smoke. The more they walked down the dirt path that lead toward the hospital, the thinner the forest canopy grew. The hospital was placed in the middle of a massive clearing, as if the trees around it had been cleared somewhat. They walked down a sort of incline. And as they grew closer, they began to fully recognize the sheer enormity of the building, stretching wider than two football fields combined. It casted an enormous shadow. The sun seemed to disappear behind it.

                This had to be the dumbest collective decision ever made since the invention of “dumb-teen horror movies”.  This was fucking dumb. This idea of going into a place that would be best left alone, just to see what happened. You always know exactly what’s going to happen. Something bad. Something horrible. Something that will be greatly regretted. Yet, she never stopped walking with them. She continued on. She couldn’t let Darren do something so completely _asinine and irrational_ alone.

                They stopped just before the old building, standing at least three stories tall in all of its horrible splendor. It had multiple wings, and was quite large. It seemed oddly modern. It must have been abandoned about a decade or so ago. It had the normal things, like a parking lot and a place for ambulances to drive through. But it still carried an aura of decay, with its broken windows and thriving vegetation slowly devouring the whole structure. The doors had been broken through by previous trespassers, and she worried that there may be other also inside as well. The whole place seemed surreal and odd. It was as if the whole place had just been built, barely used for a year or so, then abandoned.

                They stood just before the double doors, staring up at the enormous thing. Darren accompanied the object of his affections, walking alongside him and talking excitedly. She followed the group as they entered the building.

                There were a lot of girls. None of which she’d seen before. Not including herself, there may have been seven, making up a little over half of their group. She felt somewhat at ease with knowing that they weren’t really outnumbered.

                They stepped through the smashed, glass doors, not bothering to open them, since it’d probably be difficult. They all laughed and carried on. But Xira, she remained quiet, phone in hand, portable game in the pocket of her hoodie that nearly swallowed her frame. She seemed so out of place, a girl who looked thirteen rather than three months from seventeen. She felt ridiculous and embarrassed, hanging with these people who looked their age and far older. She wanted to just _leave_. But she only had a driving permit and not even a car to drive. She rode with Darren and his friend. She remembered the odd ride there, how the three carried on as if she wasn’t even there.

_“Who’s she?” The guy asked, pale in complexion with odd, pale eyes. This was him, the guy her cousin fancied. He was handsome. Unbelievably so. He looked more like an actor or a model, rather than a simple school student. She felt horribly inferior to him. But Darren… He looked perfect at this person’s side, being just as handsome. It was almost hard to believe that they were even related._

_“This is Xira. My cousin.” Darren introduced. Neji’s eyes lit up with recognition. “Ah. Now I see. She looks like you.” He said. Xira had to stop herself from disagreeing. She forced a smile onto her face and greeted him. “Hi…” She said. He then held out a hand towards her. She, though somewhat confused, gave him her own. And to her surprise, (though she should have seen it coming) he leaned down and kissed her shaking hand, trembling with nervousness. Her face flushed red, burning with mortification. She wanted desperately to calm down, but meeting new people, especially a person like him, made her uneasy._

_The handsome, pale youth set her free, smiling at her reddened face. “Are you scared?” He asked her. Darren laughed. “You probably just gave her like fifteen heart attacks. She’s a nervous person. She’s already nervous about going to this hospital.” Neji then shot her a small, handsome smile. “My apologies, then. Next time, I’ll be more careful.”_

                It wasn’t like she was afraid of him. He was actually very polite and nice. But she couldn’t help that she just didn’t feel _worthy_ to be in his presence.

                “Woooow. This place looks like _shit_.” She watched as a boy with striking blonde hair, almost unnaturally hued, ran further into the lobby looking about for nothing in particular. “What did you expect it to look like, Naruto. This place was abandoned back in ’86.” Said Sakura, a girl with loud, pale, petal pink hair that strangely fitted her. Xira mentally corrected herself. Not just a single decade of abandonment. But nearly three.

                “Are you recording, Shika?” He asked. Shikamaru nodded, holding a rather expensive looking camcorder in his hand. Xira stuffed her phone into her hoodie pocket and took off her small backpack. She pulled out a small flashlight, stuffing it into her pocket. She had a spare and multiple batteries. A water bottle, snacks. And one of those fancy cases that you could place onto your phone and charge it with. She came prepared. Darren made fun of her for over packing, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t going to risk there being some kind of disaster scenario.

                “You came prepared.” She jumped a little at the sound of a voice. A blonde girl looked over her shoulder and laughed at the girl’s cute reaction. “You’re like a little girl scout. You have everything in that bag. That’s so cute.” Xira blushed somewhat and threw her bag back on, shrinking a little in embarrassment. “I guess I did kind of over-prepare.” She sheepishly said. “No. It’s a good thing. You never know what may happen.” She then tilted her head, shot a look at Darren, who was with the others, joking and seemingly going through the files at the front desk. “You must be Darren’s sister?” She asked. “Cousin.” Xira corrected. “But we’re really close.” She suddenly remembered to introduce herself. “I’m Xira.” The girl smiled. “Ino.” She greeted.

                Behind them, a crash sounded, interrupting them. Naruto had fallen off of a chair he’d been dancing on. Everyone laughed at him. Xira watched as the young people laughed and joked. So these were Darren’s friends. It must be nice, being able to go out with people and be like this.

                Suddenly, Xira was feeling very tired. She could feel that this was going to be a long night. She knew how it was going to play out. She was going to want to leave a little early, but she’ll end up a captive of the place, stuck there until Darren wanted to leave. That’s how it usually went when she went places with him. It was like she was the annoying younger sibling he was supposed to be babysitting. Only there simply because she couldn’t be left alone. What was her older brother trying to say? _“Take Xira with you. She seems like she wants to go.”_ But she was most certain that she was perfectly fine where she was. Is this some kind of backhanded way of saying that she needed to get out more? Because that’s what it felt like.

                Xira heaved a sigh, averting her gaze to the ground as she scowled. She was getting real sick of this.

                “Wait! Guys! We’re supposed to stay together!” Sakura called after them. But Naruto was heading down some dark hallway, being pushed on a gurney by another youth by the name of Kiba. Xira heard a crash and hysterical laughter. It was only mindless fun. Breaking things and enjoying the enormity of the place.

                The group all decided that it’d be best to go ahead and move on to the next area, already bored with the one they were in. Xira watched them as they went, starting after them so she wouldn’t be lost.

                But suddenly… She froze.

                She felt a tingling sensation in her arms. Her heart began to race and a deep setting terror rooted itself in her bosom. For no discernible reason. It just suddenly arose. She could hear something, and she could feel one of those “déjà vu” moments coming up. She had them often, but never paid them any mind, thinking that her brain was just playing tricks on her. But this time… It felt so vivid. So clear. Dammit, she thought. What is this? _That’s So Raven_?

                She could hear someone earnestly talking to her. Pleading her. _“Please don’t.”_ The voice said. _“Don’t go after them. Go the other way. Don’t follow them. Something bad will happen. Don’t trust them. It’s not the ghosts you should be afraid of._ ”

                Often, she took these little flashes seriously. She had them often, but they were usually about petty little things. Bring an umbrella, it may rain. You have a test today. Study while you can. Don’t walk down that street. There’s a stray dog down there. It was like they were little flashes of daily advice to help her get through the day. It was a strong gut feeling, accompanied by words of wisdom. She took them seriously, since they’ve yet to be wrong.

                But this time was the first she doubted them. She didn’t want to separate from the group for fear that something may be lurking in the shadows. She didn’t want to be alone. And she didn’t want to leave Darren alone. And she didn’t want to be on her own. But she wanted to trust this gut instinct.

                But Darren…

                And she didn’t want to be alone. Bad things happened when she was alone.

                She took a step forward after the group, but the odd feeling intensified in protest. She could feel the tingling in her arms climb her back. _“Please don’t. He’ll be fine. But you won’t be if you go.”_ The girl stopped and sighed. _“Just go in the other direction… They won’t even notice that you left…”_

                Xira reluctantly turned and eyed the opposite wing of the hospital. She didn’t want to. It looked so foreboding. The windows did allow some light to filter into the halls. But that would be gone by nightfall. She didn’t want this. She wanted to just turn and leave. But these feelings were always right…

                “Xira?” Her cousin eyed her curiously. She forced a smile. “You know… Actually. I’d like to explore the other wing for a bit. I kinda want to find some old equipment. Maybe find an old stethoscope or something.” But Darren shook his head. “Nuh-uh. You’re staying with me. You’ll get lost.” He objected. “Oh, please. Darren, I won’t go too far. I’ll be right behind you. If anything weird happens, I promise, you’ll notice. My voice carries, remember?” And then she added. “I’m a big girl, remember?”

                Darren sighed. “Fine. But keep your phone close. And don’t stay too long. Catch up soon, okay?” She nodded.

                So she began to walk down the lonely hall, draped in the dying, orange sunlight of late evening. She uttered a silent prayer for safety and hoped to find a nice room with a lock on its door. A place to settle down and play her game.

                The halls stretched on for what seemed forever. She noticed that at the end of this hallway, there were two double doors, leading into the recesses of the hospital. To the further wings with the various rooms. She didn’t want to go too far, though. So she settled for one of the rooms in the hall she was presently in. She found a storage room, filled with many different types of equipment and moveable storage units holding shelves that carried supplies like gloves and needles and other things. It was a dusty old place, untouched in years. Well… Except the place where they kept the needles. Something was shockingly eerie about that fact. That someone had been there before…

                She shut the door behind her. And as an afterthought, she pulled a chair in front of it, so she’d hear if someone were to enter. And then, she suddenly decided that she did _not_ like this. This was a stupid, poorly thought out decision. And she wanted desperately to follow the others. But she couldn’t ignore this strong gut instinct within her. So she dealt with it. She closed the blinds and drapes of the two windows, climbed over the equipment and found a dusty office chair.

Yes, she was anxious and paranoid the whole while she sat there. Though the moon replaced the sun as a source of light, there was just an eerie overall atmosphere to the whole situation. It was quiet. Deadly quiet, save the singing crickets outside. She felt very alone in the midst of the silence. The soft music coming from her headphones didn’t alleviate this one bit. But still…. She quietly sat. She played her video game for minutes. Then the minutes stretched into a half hour. Then an entire hour. And then, she began to watch videos on her phone. And oddly, she didn’t feel as lonely. She began to forget her surroundings. And suddenly, six o’clock in the evening became nine forty-five. And oddly, she didn’t feel the least bit tired. The hours passed by quickly.

                Oddly, the time passed right by her. She barely noticed the amount of time that’d passed. Nothing much happened while she sat there alone. She was completely content. In her own little world. The one thing that bothered her was that her cousin hadn’t texted her in some time. So once she realized that it’d been hours since she’d seen anyone around, she resolved to leave the storage room.

                It was oddly quiet… And it was awfully dark in the hospital. The light had yet to fully die, the sky being a deep cerulean in color. She whipped out her flashlight, illuminating the way as she backtracked her way back to the lobby area. And though the place seemed so empty, with odd shadows being casted left and right and the daunting night air flowing in through the busted front doors, she wasn’t afraid. Maybe it was ignorance and stupidity that fueled her bravery. Or maybe it was that her gut told her not to be afraid. It’s not the ghosts that should be feared….

                But why should she fear the others?

                She began to feel the creeping fear throughout her body. What kind of odd scenario was this? Why did she agree to come to such a place? Why did she allow a mere intuition lead her away from the group? She allowed herself to be pulled into the recesses of the building, alone and in the dark? And not once did she think about returning before this point. And not once was she contacted. It was odd, this feeling. What had she been doing for the past few hours? Her phone said it’s been three hours, but she felt as if it’d been only minutes. This wasn’t a natural feeling.

                Now that she thought about it, there was something a little off about this whole situation. Why would so many people agree to come to such a place at such an hour without any qualms? Everyone seemed pretty hunky-dory about it. Even Darren, who normally avoided situations like this. He was the type who felt uneasy in dark parking lots and feared lonely garages. He was a wary person. So why was he so willing about this? Did he really fancy Neji that much?

                There was something just _wrong_ about it all. And what made it worse… Was that she hadn’t even given it any thought until now.

                She’d got to be more careful.

 

 

                A girl who seemed no older than thirteen walked the lonely halls alone, seemingly looking for someone. She was short, with a curvy frame, and wore a hoodie a few sizes too large for her. He couldn’t see her face really, but he guessed that this was the cousin of that one kid that tagged along. He remembered the face of that guy. Darren was his name.

_A good-looking youth with glossy eyes and a delirious smile. He sits like a child in Neji’s lap, laying his head on the larger male’s chest, lost in the euphoria of being reborn anew. He grimaced upon seeing the sight. This was the face of a person who’d just stupidly thrown their life away. He had no idea what he was getting himself into._

_But he understood why Neji was so willing to let him in. The boy was beautiful, with a radiant smile and beautiful, dark umber eyes. Nice lips and perfect skin. And a lithe, perfect body. He was good-looking. Neji had been yearning for him for quite some time now. And it seemed that the feeling was mutual._

_And the look in his eyes, glossed over in a daze as he stared up at Neji’s face. It was like he was in a trance, smiling slightly as his gaze almost seemed to be that of a loving nature. Or maybe it was more of an adoration. And he seemed to not be phased by what was happening around him. His attention was fixed on Neji and Neji only. And never did he remember seeing his friend so riveted by a person. So… Enthralled. Maybe Neji had finally…_

_He recalled one thing the boy said in his final moments, before reopening his brand new eyes. Something about his cousin, who was somewhere in the hospital, who was supposed to catch up at some point. “Don’t touch my cousin… I don’t want anything to happen to her… I love her too much…” He said. But that was a few hours ago. Where was this cousin?_

                She was lost. After sitting alone in that storage room for such a long time, she must’ve forgotten where the others went! But she kept reminding herself that she couldn’t have forgotten. They went down the right hall while she went left. So why was it that every time she went down that hall, she’d come to a dead end without so much as seeing a soul?

                And meanwhile, he tailed her, hoping to kill some time as the others cleaned up. Besides. It wouldn’t do well if the girl came across the others when they were “busy”. It was asked that this girl be left alone. That she be untouched. Kept in the dark about their world. He smirked at the thought. Let’s see how far we get with that, he thought.

                He reached out to her, lightly tugging her hair as she walked. And then, he quickly ducked to the right as she looked over her left shoulder abruptly, with horror written across her face. He finally saw that she was almost a mirror of her cousin, which was odd. Yet, she had more of an innocence about her. She looked like she could be his sister, yet she was completely different. With wide, doe-like eyes and expressive eyebrows. He would even go as far as to say that she was cute.

                He watched her scurry along the hall in fear. And then, he abruptly stopped. This girl… She was the last one. And she couldn’t be possibly set free after this, her cousin being in the process of becoming like them. She couldn’t go free. She’d eventually look for her cousin. And she’d find out. And she couldn’t be trusted with the secret.

                A devilish smile crept across his lips. They could use her, then.

                “Hey.” The girl jumped, the life being scared clean out of her. She pressed herself to the wall, eyes wide with shock. “Who!?!” She asked, unable to finish the question. She then somewhat let her guard down after seeing that it was another of her cousin’s friends. Or… At least she thought. She didn’t remember seeing him around. But he seemed not too much older than she and her cousin.

                “Ah. You scared me. Geez.” But she was still wary of him.  She stood clear of him, not daring to grow too close to the unsettling stranger. “You lost your way?” He asked. She nervously laughed. “Yeah. I went to go explore. And the time just flew by. I tried to find the others but I can’t seem to find them. Which is weird. Because I remember them being in that room down the hall…” She motioned behind her. “It’s funny. I keep coming back to double check but each time, it’s the same.” He looked at the door with a knowing smirk. “Are you sure? I just met the others. They’re in that room.” He approached the door. She had to be mistaken, right? He just saw the others less than five minutes ago.

                But she was right. When he opened the door, the room was empty. There was nothing. He closed the door once more and reopened it, just to get the same results. His brows creased in annoyance. He shot the girl behind him a glance, making her seemingly shrink into her hoodie. She took a little step back.

                “See..?” She said, avoiding eye contact. Something about him made her uncomfortable. But yet, the nagging little feeling in the back of her mind spoke up again. Once again, it gave her questionable advice.

                _Stay with him…_

Stay with him? She thought. Why would I?

                _Bad things are about to happen. Stay with him._

He let out an irritated sigh, giving a last, longing stare at the door. “I’m not in the mood to be fucked with.” He growled, pushing past her starting his search. She followed him uneasily. But the nagging feeling urged her onward. And she couldn’t find any other possible choice.

                She took out her phone and tried dialing her cousin’s number. She listened as it rang for moments, futilely, before going to voicemail. She huffed and tried again. And again. All in vain. After the fourth try, she gave up. And the creeping fear began to settle. “My cousin isn’t picking up.” She said, worry in her tone. He shot her another glance as they walked into the hospital lobby. There was an unmistakable fear in her eyes. She was just moments from flipping out, he could tell. “He’s fine.” He said curtly. “They’re probably just fucking with us.” He took a look down another hall and began to search it. She had to hasten her pace to keep up with him. “A joke? This isn’t a funny joke. Not at all.” Her voice faltered a bit.

 

 

 

                “This is strange. It’s never done this before.” Shikamaru said. He shot a calculative glance at the newcomer, lying in Neji’s arms in an  attempt to put the pieces together. The hospital was acting strange, which was odd. They usually brought their meals here. But this was the first time the hospital and the “residents” within it protested against their doings. Something was wrong. The hospital was closing itself off from reality, and they’d have to correct the problem soon, or they wouldn’t be able to leave.

                “You think it might have something to do with him?” Kiba asked. Shikamaru thought for a bit longer. “I’m not sure.”

                “Then what could it be?” Naruto asked. Once again, Shikamaru shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe you two should ask the damn spirits. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to enlighten you.” He scanned the faces surrounding him, noticing that one of their own had gone missing, along with the three other girls who’d managed to escape them. There was no real sense of urgency, given that they’d all be trapped for a while until they could get to the bottom of the whole situation. “Where’s Sasuke?” He asked. Naruto shrugged in turn. “Not sure. You know how he is.” Shikamaru disregarded the issue. “It’s not a big deal. We should focus on finding those other three. Before they cause any trouble.” Kiba sprang up from his spot, ready to go on a hunt. “Neji. We’re off. We’ll be back.” The pale-eyed youth gave a curt nod from his seat.

                The others took their leave, promising their return within a few minutes. He shot a glance down at the one in his arms as he began to rouse from his short slumber. His eyes fluttered, long lashes dusting his smooth cheeks. He grimaced and cradled his neck with his hands, as if that would palliate the burning that had nested itself there. Neji stared in awe. It had only been a few hours and he was already waking up from his change. A remarkable feat.

                He shot up from his spot, looking around frantically.

                And then he saw Neji, staring him down with questioning, yet soft, pale eyes.

                “My cousin? Has she come back yet?” Neji shook his head. “No. I’m sorry. But,” He cradled the boy’s cheek with his hand. “Is that such a bad thing. As far as we know, she is ignorant about us.” Darren leaned into the caress and smiled. He felt wonderful. He’d finally done it. This person, who he’d had affections for was finally _his._ “Yeah. But she’ll come looking soon. I have to find her.” He sat up straight beside the object of his affections. “Xira…” He retreated into his own thoughts. “I don’t know what I was thinking with bringing her here. She’s a nervous wreck, you see? She gets really nervous over things like this.”

                “Not without reason…” Neji added. The boy nodded. “Actually.” Neji continued. “It would be best if we found her as soon as possible.” Darren raised a brow. “Is there something wrong?” The normally reticent young man shut his eyes and sighed, trying to think of the best way to tell his newfound love without worrying him too much. “This hospital. Remember how I told you that it was teeming with spirits?” Darren nodded. “Yes. But you said that you’ve brought your meals here before without it protesting. Is there something different?” His eyes went wide. “You haven’t angered anything, have you?” For moments, Neji stared him in the eyes. But he eventually brought himself to say it. “I’m not sure. But there’s a heavy feeling in the air.” He watched as Darren bit his lip in worry, thinking of a solution. He, a thorough believer of the supernatural and spiritual, was genuinely worried about his cousin’s well-being.

                “We have to find her. If something bad happens to her, I don’t know…” Neji held the boy by the shoulders and pulled him closer. “We’ll find her.” He said. “But first, you have to take care of your thirst. Your throat burns, doesn’t it?” It was then that the stinging was brought to his attention. He cradled his throat once more. “Ah… Yeah. Gimme some blood would you?” He asked with a bashful smile, bringing those beautiful lips to Neji’s neck.

 

               

 

                “This is fucking ridiculous.” He growled as he threw another door open. Xira followed him closely, struggling to keep the panic at bay.

                “It’s like all the rooms are exactly alike.” She said, voice low and weak. It had been the first thing she’d said within the past ten minutes. He was grateful that he’d been stuck with her, rather than the other three girls that had escaped somewhere in the building. She was quiet. Calm. She silently endured the fear and panic, rather than being flustered like a startled hen. It allowed him to think.

                “The damn ghosts are acting up.” Her eyes went wide upon hearing this, but she didn’t panic. Well, she didn’t let him see the panic. “Ghosts?” She wasn’t as surprised as she thought she’d be. It was more so the fact that he was so quick to jump to that conclusion that took her by surprise. So casually. As if was something happened regularly.  She let out a dry, humorless laugh. “Ghosts. Of course.”

                He stopped in his tracks, standing in the middle of the dark, empty hall. He stopped, and she stopped behind him, waiting for his next move. It became deathly quiet, save for a faint, undeterminable sound. An odd sound that made shivers travel up and down her spine.

                He shot the girl a glance, seeing her widened eyes. “You can hear it?” He asked, surprised. She nodded. “Yes… I can. Is it…” She paused and listened, the sound becoming more and more coherent. “A voice?” He listened more. “It’s like a small voice… But I can’t hear what it’s saying…” His gaze lingered on her for seconds before he shifted it to the end of the hall.

                “Is that…?” She couldn’t bring herself to say it. What she saw… It was simply beyond words. Peeking around the corner, staring at them with hauntingly, fish white eyes.

                “ ** _Her.”_**

                She drew in a deep, terrified gasp. He acted on impulse, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her into the room they’d just stepped from. He locked the door behind them, his mind racing for a solution. Given him being the being that he is, he could easily kill the thing, whatever it was. But with the girl here, that could complicate things even further than they already have been.

                She was visibly shaking, her hands trembling as if she was outside in forty degree weather. “Was that a ghost?” She asked. He shook his head. “No. That wasn’t a ghost.” She looked up at him. “Huh?”

                “That was no ghost. I’ve seen ghosts. They look human. They look like people. Like what you’d expect a ghost to look like. _That_ was no ghost. That was a full-fledged monster.” She began to hold the hair at her temples with trembling hands, staring vacantly at the ground. “It wants you apparently. Would you know why?” She didn’t answer. She remained there, trembling like a scared puppy. “Hey. Don’t faint, or I’ll be forced to leave you.” Now she stared up at him with scared eyes, shocked that he’d ever say such a thing. But he meant it. He had no real reason to help her. Even then, he considered leaving her ass to whatever was outside. He would, if it proved to be too much of a hassle.

                Something rammed into the door from the outside, harshly bringing them back to reality. Sasuke cursed, throwing his weight against it just as it opened. It was strong, he had to admit. It took everything he had to keep it from flying open. She watched in frantic horror as he struggled. Her heart drummed harshly in her chest. Her ears burned. She couldn’t seem to calm her breaths. She was terrified.

                But she had to do something.

                Different people have different reactions to intense fear. Either fight, or flight, as most believe. And sometimes, instead of those, people just freeze up. She’d always expected herself to freeze. Like a deer in headlights. People always told her that she had eyes like a doe. “Those big, Bambi-eyes.” She was always, oddly, associated with deer.

                But she was not a deer.

                Surprisingly, she sprang into action, blessed with a sudden hyperawareness that urged her to _look._ She scanned the abandoned room, looking for something to use. Anything. It was another old storage room. Dusty and untouched for years. She couldn’t find any weapons. She couldn’t find anything to block the door with. But she did, however, find a vent.

                It was large enough for a body to move through.

                She wanted to just go. To escape. For some reason, she felt as if he’d be fine on his own, like she wouldn’t even be able to help him if she stayed. It made no difference, right? That’s what she wanted to let herself believe. He said he’d leave her right? If she fainted. Just that easy. So why should she care?

                She let out a frustrated yell and rushed to the door. She hated having such a guilty soul.

                They say that adrenaline is what keeps you alive. It makes you suddenly stronger. Faster. Keener. And that was true. There was an old metal desk beside the door. At its legs, on the floor, were blackened scuff marks, as if it had been dragged to the very spot from across the room years before. She managed to get on its side and throw her weight against it. And he watched her, even more surprised than he already was. Damn, she was a strong one. But of course, he knew, that it was the fear fueling her.

                He helped her, though he knew it wouldn’t do much but slow the thing down. But she didn’t know that. She was just trying to help. In his thoughts, he commended her.

                He still held the desk in place after moving it before the door. “There’s a vent over there.” She nodded behind her. “It’s big enough for even you. We can get out of here. I don’t think- Ah!” She was nearly thrown back by a particularly powerful blow, but in moments she was back on her feet. “I don’t think it will fit through.” He nodded. “Go.” He said. “I’m right behind you.”

                She wasted no time. She hoisted herself up onto a chair in the center of the room, and after a minute or so of struggling, she disappeared into the vent. The hard edges of metal dug and pressed into her sides as she struggled onto the ledge. She backed away from the opening, as if giving him enough space in the vent. She called out for him, urging him to follow. But he never did.

                He was just going to let her escape, he resolve. He’d take care of this himself. He’d had a sudden change of heart.

                He told her to go once more. That he’d get out another way. And she hesitated, not wanting to leave him behind.

                Meanwhile, he moved the desk. He took cautious steps away from the door as it flew open, bracing himself against the large white mass of flesh, bone, and fur. He forced all of his strength against it and flung it into the hall, away from the vent.

                She stared vacantly in horror as she listened on. She heard snarling. Grotesque, unnatural snarling. She heard snapping jaws and angry curses. And all she could do was sit, cry and whimper. Like always. There was nothing she could do to help.

                She knew that maybe, she should’ve been trying to get away. But there was something… Not right. She sat and listened. Hard. To all the fighting outside. She listened as it traveled out of the room, down the hall. She heard a large bang, as if someone had been thrown into the wall. And she realized that he, the boy she was with, was putting up one hell of a fight… She actually… Wait…

                Two sets of snarling. She heard two different voices. Two different sets of snarling. Was that…?

                She heard a horrible sound. A sickening snapping like nothing she’d ever heard before. Like what a branch would sound if wrapped in cloth. Only… Messier. Followed by a series of nasty-sounding blows. Repeatedly tearing their way through the would-be silence. _Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!_

                She began to tremble again. Oh, God, she thought. What now? No. Why is this happening? How the hell did she get into this situation? She began to breath uncontrollably. At this point, she was going to hyperventilate. Even covering her mouth couldn’t muffle the noise. It was going to find her. She was going to die. She’d begun to cry and whimper.

                She’d never been so afraid in her life. She’d never felt such fear.

                And it never occurred to her that she could escape further down the vent. Yes… That’s what fear does to her.

                Just when she’d thought it was over. “Hey.” He called. That boy. He looked up into the vent. She didn’t hide very well. The idiot didn’t even escape when she was supposed to . She peeked over into the room.

                Blood. Everywhere.

                He had a few gashes here and there. Claw marks on his shoulders where the thing must’ve tried to hold him. His hands were coated in the stuff, as if he’d dipped them in a pool of it. But he appeared unscathed, overall.

                “Where is it?” She asked.

                “Dead.” He answered.

                “You killed it…” She stated in disbelief.

                A moment of hesitation. Then, “You didn’t escape.” She let out a nervous, traumatized laugh. “I was too scared, I guess. And I heard…” Her voice trailed off. “Is it safe now?” He nodded. Thus began the awkward, somewhat uncomfortable process of squirming out of the vent, legs-first. It was odd. He watched her the whole time, not even bothering to help, not that she expected him to. She fell to the floor, the impact knocking the wind out of her.

She cut herself on something. Her left hand harbored a small gash. Not deep, but deep enough to draw blood. Jagged metal on the ground was the culprit. “Fuck!” She cursed, cradling her hand and inspecting the wound. “Fuck! That hurts.” She sucked the wound, a bad habit of hers that’s carried even into her teenage years. She stood, shaking away the pain from the wound and the impact.

“That thing… That’s what was causing the spirits to act funny. The hospital is back to normal now. We can go now…” Without any other words, he left the room. And she followed, letting her hand fall to her side. She tried not to look at the ugly thing, but of course, she saw it. Curiosity demanded that she saw before she left.

                It was hideous. Bony and pale. Something between a man and a wolfish thing, covered in snow-white fur. Its neck was bent. Its tongue hung limply from its mouth. Its skull caved in grotesquely. Barely any distinguishable features were left on its face, proving that the scuffle was truly as violent as it sounded.

                Wait…

                _Wait…_

                She never knew that her grandmother was making so much sense way back then. She never thought that the old, backwoods folk tales she told could be true. Old ghost stories from the depths of the swamp used only to scare some discipline into children that knew no better.

                “Oh _my_ God…” She murmured, staring in horror at the thing. “Oh _my God._ ” Sasuke stopped and watched her as she underwent another mental breakdown. “Hey.” He called, snapping her attention to him. “Let’s go. There’s no reason to dwell on it.” She shook her head. “That’s a…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it. He waited for her to continue, curious as to what the girl could possibly know about the abomination. “I remember this. Seeing pictures of it. It’s a…” She shook her head, calming herself so that she could speak clearly. “It’s called a ‘loup-garou’.” She said. And he raised his eyebrows, urging her to continue. “It’s like a werewolf. From down south.” She shook her head once more and moved past the thing, walking ahead beside Sasuke. She never looked back at it.

                “They say that if you spill its blood, it’ll reveal its secret to you. And then you become one, too. For one-hundred and one days. Or something like that. And if you tell someone that you killed it, you’ll stay one for the rest of your life. But if you keep quiet, then you’re free.” She laughed humorlessly. “But I don’t know about you…You outright _killed_ the thing.” She laughed again and joked. “I should call Nanna. Maybe she’d know.”

                They turned another corner. And she continued to speak, ten times more chatty than she’d ever been before. But it was the anxiety. She was stressed, of course, he resolved. So he let her. “Thank you. I won’t even ask you how you did it… But you did. So thank you.” She shot him a wonderful little smile. Nervous and uncomfortable and tired, but wonderful. But still, he replied to it as he’d usually would. “I was defending myself.” She still didn’t falter. “But still… You saved me in the process.” She gave another nervous little laugh. “The Loup-garou. Ha! And he wanted me… Why would he want me?”

                “That’s a wonderful question.” He replied. She began to nervously fiddle with the pendant sitting on her chest. “I don’t know.” She said. “Maybe…” She let her voice trail off. It fell silent for quite some time. She began to think of her grandmother, and all of the occult, whimsical tales she used to tell her and her cousins. She never bought it, being the skeptical child that she was. She loved them, though. She loved fairy tales and old legends, even though it was never true.

                “I was going to maybe suggest that it has something to do with my grandmother. She’s… A firm believer of all that stuff. And she does… Do a little…” She said the last word meekly. “Witchcraft. It’s very odd, really. I haven’t seen her in ages, but back then when I was with her, I always thought she was a nutcase.” She continued on, rambling on about any and everything. Maybe it was the silence. The dead silence of the hospital was what drove her to do it. She hated the silence. Darkness, she could do. But she needed something to fill the empty silence. Or she’d begin to hear things. Phantom noises that would only make her even more paranoid than she already was.

                She looked at her wound again, seeing that it’d begun to bleed again. She probably moved it too much just now. She made the bleeding start up again. With a grimace, she brought it up. “I don’t think it would need stitches. It might just heal on its own. I hope whatever I cut it on wasn’t rusty. I don’t want to get a shot…” She looked up, realizing that the young man was no longer beside her.

                He’d fallen behind. “Are you okay?” She asked. He leaned heavily on the wall beside him, cradling his throat and breathing-no, gasping. Like a fish gasping for water, he struggled for air. “Oh, God!” She rushed to him before he could even protest. He couldn’t even push her away. Suddenly, she was beside him, floundering for a solution.

                Get away from me, he wanted to say. That sweet-smelling nectar coming from her. Dear God, it was like a truck suddenly hit him in the best way. A scent so great that it knocked the air from it. He was restraining himself as best as he could. But he feared that it wouldn’t be enough. A scent so intoxicating. It was greater than any drug just now…

                Fuck it, he thought. I’m allowed a fuck up or two every now and then.

                He grabbed her without warning, digging his teeth into the palm of her hand. It all happened too fast. So fast that she couldn’t even cry out from the pain. She merely looked on in horror, mouth agape. Eyes wide. She dug her fingers into his hair, trying to pry him away. And all she could think from this situation was “ _out of the frying pan, into the damn fire_.”

                “Stop it!” She yelled, hoping to yank her hand away. But he held her tightly. As she resisted, he used his weight to push her into the wall. Or slam, rather. The wind was knocked clean out of her. Too fast. It was all happening too fast.

                He sunk his teeth into her neck next, lost in the euphoria of the taste. This was an anomaly. _Holy shit,_ he thought. It was greater than anything he’d ever taken prior to this moment. Better than any stimulant. Better than any aphrodisiac. Who the hell was this girl? Why did she taste like a cocktail of all sorts of things good, yet so sinful?

                Once again, she was crying. “Ow…” She cried as she tried to shove him away. But his body was like iron. It refused to move. She could feel it. His lips firmly affixed to her skin. His tongue scraped over her skin. He ravenously _fed_ off of her. Like an animal. She could feel herself growing weaker. Her legs buckled once, twice. They were about to give out. As the moments stretched on into minutes, and her resistance significantly weakened, she felt herself go numb. Soon, it was all so still. Everything was so still that she could even feel his beating heart. And in a bout of inane childishness, she thought _‘you have your own heart… So why are you taking my blood?’_

She passed out after the seventh minute.

               

 

 

                He admitted that he had a heavy foot when it came to driving. And the fact that she was there, in the back seat, did not make things any better. The objective was to get her home as soon as possible, a thirty minute drive to the other end of the town, into the wilderness beyond city limits 

                No. He wasn’t going to give this one up, he resolved. It was okay that the other ones would be set free. They won’t remember a bit of the night. They never did. They’re memories would be wiped clean. Only a vague feeling of an uneasy conscience would hint at it. But this one. She would have to stay. He wouldn’t let her go, simple as that. Surely the others would understand, right?

                If they didn’t… Well… He didn’t care too much about what they thought.

                It was quiet. He patiently waited for her to rouse from her sleep, so that they could talk things through. And he had to admit that he hadn’t the slightest clue how that would go, given that such a thing wasn’t his forte. She slept peacefully in the passenger’s seat beside him. Her breaths were soft. The wound on her neck was perfectly healed, as he hoped it would be. He took special precautions with her. Hopefully, she’d forgive him. He didn’t want her to fear him, which was odd. But he resolved that fear would only complicate things and hinder the process of him getting the information he desired.

                He was curious about her.

                She had irresistible blood flowing through her veins. That was reason one why he couldn’t let her slip away. He’d never experienced it before, the abnormality behind her blood. He’d been around. He’s tasted different flavors. But never this one. She was an anomaly.

                Reason two was what happened back there. She was being pursued without even knowing it, and that could obviously get her killed out here. And she, he decided, was valuable. That blood of hers… He still wasn’t in his right mind after tasting it.

                She exhaled and shifted. Her eyelids fluttered and squinted in the darkness. She looked about, eyeing the world beyond the car. She paused for a second in awe upon seeing the view of the city, lit up in various fluorescent colors in the vast, nighttime sky. He parked near the cliff. A location not entirely remote, but not heavily visited, either. A place where young people came to hang out among friends.

                Then, she remembered  her situation. She turned to him and gasped, pressing herself against the door. But yet, she didn’t run. Her hand was on the handle, yet she didn’t open the door. She just looked at him with those scared eyes.

                “You… You bit me.” She said dumbly. There was a heavy silence. A sigh from him and waiting eyes from her. “I’m sorry about that…” He said. She frowned, unsure of his half-hearted apology. But she accepted it nonetheless. And once again, it fell so quiet. She began to erratically think, wondering what exactly she would do if he were to try something funny. She surveyed her surroundings. She was somewhat relieved by seeing other people around, but she wasn’t totally at ease.

                “Why did you bite me?” She asked. Normally, she’d call him a freak. She’d think that he’d had some kind of odd sadistic fetish and be done with it. She would’ve called the cops, pressed charges, and be done with it. But what happened earlier. It had rocked the foundations of everything she’d ever believed. So yes, she entertained the possibility. Yes, she could see it. She could see it all now, clearer and clearer now that there was a moment of peace. Him, and all his odd friends. Leading all of those girls out there. Him, killing that beast all alone. Him biting her.

                When he didn’t answer, she took the liberty of asking another question. After she’d come up with her conclusion, she asked with a freshly instilled fear for her well-being, “Are you gonna… Kill me?”

                The sound of his laughter startled her. He shook his head and reassured her. “No.” He said. “We don’t kill. I’m assuming that you’ve connected the dots…? You’re a smart girl…” He shot her a breathtaking smirk with dangerous eyes. Or maybe it was her paranoia making them out to be that way. “I didn’t even have to explain it to you. You’re a bright one indeed. I don’t know if I can say the same for your cousin though.” She turned in her seat. “Where’s Darren?”

                “Your cousin… Would you believe me if I said he was no longer like you? Human?” She did a double take, her jaw hanging open. “No…” She couldn’t believe her ears. But once again, anything could be true at this point. So of course, when he said it, she grew terrified. She’d have to hear it from her cousin’s lips to truly believe, but still, she was scared. “I need to see him.” She straightened up in her seat. “What time is it? How long was I asleep?” She glanced at the clock. It was a little after midnight. She was sleeping for so long? A sigh escaped her lips. “My brother’s gonna kill me…”

                “I’ll drive you home…” He offered. “After… You answer a few things…” She reluctantly nodded, accepting the offer.

                “First, I’d like to know if this is the first time this has happened.” She laughed at this. “Do you really think I would’ve gone off alone if things like that happened more often?” He sat back in his seat. “Ah… That was stupid of me to ask, huh?”

                “Why? Should I be surprised?” She asked, gazing out at the glowing city before them. If it weren’t for their situation, the setting would almost be romantic. If it weren’t for the fact that the person beside her had basically assaulted her earlier in a lapse of insanity.

                “You should be careful from now on.” He told her. “What just happened… It will happen again. Your blood…” He locked eyes with her, pinning her under his gaze. She listened with nervous anticipation. “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever tasted.  Even now, I can still taste it...”

                There was something oddly obscene about the way he said it. The way his words trailed off as his face took on a retrospective expression. There was something perverse about it that made her face flush. She wanted to ask him to not speak of it in such a manner, but she couldn’t find the words to.

                “You’re gonna start attracting a lot of attention from this point on…”

                “What?”

                “It’s amazing that you managed to keep it hidden for so long. If others were to find you…” So that’s where he was going with it. She suddenly understood what he meant. Her blood was an anomaly apparently? Then what? Did she just go home a pretend as if there wasn’t a possibility of something lurking around every corner? She wished that he’d never shared this. She could’ve gone without hearing it all. There was something about the anticipation of such a thing that made the terror even worse.

                He started up the car and pulled out of the lot, starting their drive to her home. He asked her for the directions, and she gladly told him, mind still racing with thought after thought.

                “I don’t know what to say…” She said. “This is madness…” Another nervous chuckle escaped her lips. “All this blood talk. And loup-garous! Blood and loup-garous and vampires! It sounds crazy just saying it. _Vampires._ ” She buried her face into her hands.

                He, himself, had no idea where he was going with this. He was going to expose everything, to this outsider, without even considering the option of either wiping her memory, or letting her in. But he had a plan. He wasn’t completely acting on impulse. He was thinking through this, at least a little. He wasn’t letting the “blood fever” get to him and cloud his senses.

                “I can show you…” He said suddenly. “Those girls you saw earlier. They’re fine. They’ll be back in class Monday… I can prove it, if you let me.” He was highly aware that these words were not like him. But they caught her attention, and that was all he cared about. “I can prove it all to you.”

                “Isn’t this supposed to be… A secret?” She asked. “You can’t just go around telling just anybody these things can you?” His silence affirmed it. But it confused her. “Why would you tell me, then? What makes it okay for me to know all this?” The car stopped underneath the beaming red light, bathing the car in its light. She watched him, waiting for an answer. He shrugged. “Because… I just feel like you have the right to know. Chances are, whether I expose it all or not, you’ll know in due time.” He shot her a smirk. “With blood like yours, you’ll be getting real intimate with our world. Sooner or later.” And it was left at that. She couldn’t bring herself to speak anymore. The rest of their ride went in silence.

                She stared at her phone, then her hands, suddenly clammy in the cold car, kept cool by the air conditioning. She watched the dark world beyond the car as they sped down the streets of the bustling city, still alive despite of the late hour. He turned on the radio, flipping to a familiar tune that she couldn’t quite remember the name of. Something she’d heard recently. Damn, what was the name of this song?

                _“And I’ll say anything to make her feel alright.”_

Yes, she thought. Let’s focus on this, instead of whatever the hell is going on right now.

                _“And I’ll be anything to keep her here tonight.”_

The time passed by quickly. The song ended and another came on. The cycle continued over and over again. It was peaceful. They passed through light after light. Soon, they were close to her nice little neighborhood, in a more rural area on the city’s outskirts, far from the hospital and everything that happened earlier that night.

“You live here?” He asked her. She nodded. “Nice place… A little lonely, though.” She laughed at this. “What?” He asked. “You didn’t strike me as the type to get lonely easily. You seem like you would like it… Being alone.” And with a dismissive shrug of the shoulders, she added, “Nevermind. What do I know, anyway?” She pointed further down the road. “Turn here and go to the end of the road. My house isn’t too far.”

                The neighborhood was a quiet one. Like those quiet little rural places where everyone knew everyone, which was odd, given that the neighborhood was still a part of the city. Just on the outskirts, closer to the woods. Not good, he thought. He didn’t like that. Too lonely and quiet out here. And his kind liked places like that. A lot.

                Why was he suddenly so protective over this person? He couldn’t help it.

                The houses were nice, though. Big, expensive places. Places where his parents would’ve moved he and his brother if they were still alive. Places for the wealthy. Only the affluent could afford such places away from the bustle of the city. A nice, two-story house, on a wide, property. There was at least a three minute walk between each neighbor. The people here valued privacy. Classmates of his lived here. People whose parents were like his.

                Another thing to be curious about.

                In the dark, her house looked much like the others. The only discernible differences were the wide, clear windows proudly displaying the grandiose chandelier inside. Nothing else seemed to stand out. Nothing but the fact that this seemed to be the very last house on the edge of the “neighborhood”, almost isolated by the amount of space between the houses and the forest behind it. Of course, she had to be close to the forest. Of course she had to be miles and miles away from his home in the heart of the city, where he lived with his older brother.

                “This is it.” She unceremoniously announced, unsure of what to say after. She felt as if something needed to be said. This night has changed things, definitely. He put the car in park in her driveway. Something in the back of her mind dreaded the moment she walked inside of that house, knowing good and well that she’d be met with a frantic older brother who was pissed as all hell. But at the moment, this was more important.

                “Thank you for driving me home…” She started. “And for saving my life back there, though it was… Unintentional… I guess? And I forgive you. For biting me. I can do that, at least. Since I would be dead right now if it weren’t for you.” She heard him snort at this. And she smiled herself. “I don’t care what you think of it, but you saved me. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

                She opened the door and stepped out. But before she could bade him goodnight, he stopped her. “Wait.” She watched him as he stepped out of his car and approached her. “Give me your phone.” And she did without any qualms. She watched as he programmed his number into it. And in turn, she gave him hers. She glanced at the name as he handed it back to her and gasped in embarrassment. She then let out a laugh. “Ha! We haven’t even traded names yet!” She smiled at him. “Sasuke. That’s a nice name. I’m Xira, by the way.” And just like that, the unlikely seeds of a bond to be were sown.

               

 

 


	2. Tell Me More

                “Where the fuck have you been!?!” She flinched at the intensity of her brother’s tone. It frightened her, how angry he was. She’d never seen him so livid. But not without reason. She understood his anger. She imagined being in his shoes, having been worried for the past few hours, calling any and everybody who could possibly know of her whereabouts, just to get vague answers. He’d called her a dozen times, she noticed. And this only fueled her guilt. She felt like shit.

                “I’m sorry. Just… I was careless, Yu. I-I…” She fumbled for a story to tell him. She couldn’t possibly tell him the truth. So she told him the bare minimum. “I fell asleep, somewhere. And no one knew where I was. I should’ve told Darren where I was going. I’m sorry.”

                Her brother merely stared at her dumbly when she said this. One second passed. Then two, then five. Then he suddenly sighed. “Xira…” He rubbed his eyes. “Listen, you can’t do shit like that. You can’t let yourself get into stupid situations like that. I was so worried about you. When I called Darren and he couldn’t tell me where you were, I felt like I was going to panic.” She couldn’t bring herself to look her brother in the eye. “I’m sorry.”

                He sighed once more, but gave in. He couldn’t stay mad at the girl, his precious little sister. All he could do was wrap her in a tight embrace. “Please, be more careful, Xira. Don’t give me more reasons to worry more than I do.” She murmured another apology into his chest. He parted from her with a tender little peck on the forehead. She loved her brother. She truly did. So she felt so guilty for making him worry so much. He shouldn’t have to worry so much over her, his sixteen year old sister. He shouldn’t have to fret so much over his sibling when he was only in his twenties. That, maybe, was where the source of the guilt was. She felt as if she’d stolen the most important years of her brother’s life. With her parents dying so suddenly, he was left with her. And he couldn’t bear to entrust her to their grandmother. So he took it upon himself to finish raising her. It wasn’t all that difficult. Xira was a good kid. A kind, honest soul. She never gave her brother a hard time. And never once did he regret his decision to do it alone. Yet still, she still felt guilt.

                She kicked off her shoes and began the trek upstairs to her room, but that didn’t stop them from yelling across the house as they always did. “So since you’ve finally decided to show up, would you like to watch a movie with me? I’ve been saving it.” She smiled at this. They always had a knack for bouncing back from whatever unfavorable situations and slipping back into their old habits. “Sure!” She said. “Just lemme shower, okay?” She didn’t bother to ask what the movie was about. It didn’t matter. She’d gladly watch anything with her brother. If it was boring, they’d just talk about something else. If it was good, they’d comment on everything they saw and laugh about it.

                She took a hot shower and when she finished, feeling refreshed, she joined him downstairs in the den. She playfully bounded to the couch and plopped down beside him, throwing her legs over his. He was the only person she felt close to. The only person who she’d allow in such close proximity to her.

                She smiled at her brother, the events of the night playing again once more in her mind. And suddenly, she felt very… Grateful. She was so happy to be alive. To be sitting here with her brother once more. The direness of the whole situation never really sunk in until that moment, when she looked up into her brother’s hazel eyes. She could’ve died back there. Ripped to shreds by some inhuman abomination. But she didn’t. She didn’t care what Sasuke wanted to call it. He _saved_ her.

                Yudaj, her brother, was a magnificent being. He was beautiful. His skin was light. Brown, but light. His hair was long and straight; black like ink. Their grandmother always criticized it, saying that it was unprofessional for his line of work, but no one really went against it. He was popular in his world of corporates and the wealthy. She still wasn’t sure what it was exactly that he did, but it didn’t truly matter. All she knew was that he was good at it. And well-liked for it.

                “Hey, Xira. Did you ever call Darren to let him know that you’re fine?” She nodded, grabbing a handful of popcorn. “Mhmm. I did after taking my shower.” He laughed at this. “He was pissed off, wasn’t he?” She nodded. “He asked me how could I have been so stupid. He ranted like how you did for about five minutes…”

                “Understandable. He was just as worried as I was. Don’t forget that he’s like your brother, too. You know that he’s been trying to get you over there? At his school, I mean? Has he mentioned that yet?” She nodded. “Yeah, yeah. He did. And I promptly declined. I, by no means, desire to be surrounded by… Those types of people.”

                “Really?” Her brother raised a brow at this. “Explain.” She shrugged. “I mean… To put it simply, I’d rather be an A plus student where I am, than a C average among gods. Let me stay with the rest of my kind. All I have to do is show up…”

                “That’s a hazardous mentality.” Her brother snorted.

                “But it’s _my_ mentality. And I can’t really do much about it. School is hard enough already. I can’t handle that place, okay?”

                “And why not? Darren can. And he’s as dumb as a brick.”

                “Yuu!”

                “Well he is. And it doesn’t even bother him. He knows he’s daft. If he can pass there, then you should do fine.”

                “Eh... I’ll think about it.” Her voice trailed off as she began to worry even more about her cousin. No longer human, Sasuke said. She’d asked the boy out to lunch for tomorrow, just so she could confirm it. She didn’t know exactly how she’d go about it. But she’d figure it out. She just needed to see and make sure that he was still fine. Still himself. Maybe she should go to school with him. Just to watch over him. Because it was mostly her who looked after the boy, for sometimes, his impulsive ways could get him into a world of trouble. But such a place…

                It was just a half-assed excuse, she knew. They both knew what was truly holding her back from going to such a prestigious place. In the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but have the mentality that she couldn’t even hold a candle to the type of people who went there. The ambitious variety who sought out scholarships and volunteered and had everything going for them. People who had visions and sought to pursue them. But then, there was her, the one kid who still wasn’t sure what she even wanted to do after high school or college. She didn’t even know how she was going to spend the upcoming summer.

                As she thought, she realized her brother’s gaze, intently watching her as the movie droned on. It was a retrospective look, as if he was recalling something as he looked at his sibling. He could almost recall all those childhood memories as if they’d only happened yesterday. And while he reflected, he couldn’t help but think of how she’d blossomed. It was all hitting him at the same time, in that one moment. He hadn’t noticed until that moment. That his sister was growing up.

                And it made him a little sad.

                Throughout the movie, the girl became more and more lethargic. She fell asleep when she was about thirty minutes into the movie. She leaned heavily onto her brother, for warmth probably, since the air had reduced to house to a cool temperature. Her breaths were warm on his skin. Her chest heaved delicately as she slept.  

                His precious little sister.

                Her big eyes and her full, pink lips. Her cheeks. Her soft, silky hair. Her smooth skin. She was beautiful. More than their own mother. She put their mother to shame, honestly, in his opinion. His beautiful little sister.

                Sinful feelings, his grandmother told him. Yes, they were unnatural. But at the same time, he’d ceased to care. Because his sister was his everything. It was just them now. Their grandmother wasn’t a factor in their lives, actually. It was just he and Xira. The rest of the world could burn, for all he cared.

                He flipped the television off, feeling a little tired himself. He scooped the sleeping girl into his arms and carried her to her own room. He knew that the girl hated sleeping on the couch. It made her sore, she said. So he carried her up to her own bed and set her down like a child. And she didn’t rouse. Not even once. She must’ve been dead tired, he resolved. She must’ve had fun, wherever she was with her friends.

                She _was_ growing up, huh? Hanging out with people. With _friends._ Soon, she’d be leaving him.

                He bent down over the sleeping girl and kissed her. A small, pained kiss on her soft lips. Another little secret to add to their family’s trove.

 

 

                “You seem a little… Unlike yourself.” His brother had been pestering him all day. And not without reason. Sasuke couldn’t get it out of his mind. _Her._ She’d call back, right? Or would he have to? Would she pick up? He said he’d prove it to her. That his kind wouldn’t do any harm. And he fully intended to.

                “Naruto’s been trying to get in touch with you. You need to answer your phone.” Itachi said when he got no reply. “You shouldn’t ignore others like that.” Sasuke dismissed his brother’s words with a shrug of the shoulders and an absent look. “I’m not in the mood to talk.” Itachi merely stared at his brother from the kitchen, trying to decode the enigma that was his little brother. It was odd. Something odd happened last night. Usually, it was he who knew his brother’s every thought and move. But now, he was largely absent. His mind was focused on something else, more so than usual.

                He returned to making lunch for the day. “You should take up a hobby, brother. You’ll make yourself sick if you constantly retreat into your own mind like that. It’s not healthy.”

                “A lot of the things I do you consider unhealthy, Itachi.” He said, staring absently out over the city skyline. Itachi stared at him incredulously. Of course, Sasuke didn’t share everything with his brother. But most of the time, he didn’t have to. Itachi had a knack for figuring out what was on his little brother’s mind without having to ask. But this time, it was different. He didn’t even drop any subtle clues. He’d suddenly sprung this introspective mood on him without even giving the slightest hint as to why.

                And meanwhile, Sasuke could only think about that girl, and how _well_ she took it all. She was very accepting of the whole thing. More accepting than he imagined a girl her age to be about such a thing. As if she’d heard about it before. Was she telling the truth when she said she’d never been pursued before? Now that he’d been allowed a moment to think, he doubted her honesty. She was either lying, or she still didn’t truly believe and just dismissed him as insane. Something, however, assured him that the latter was not true.

                His phone buzzed in his pocket once again. Of course, it was Naruto again instead of the one person he actually wanted to hear from. He sighed. A day had passed already. It was still kind of soon. She might still call.

                He finally answered, giving in to his stubbornness. “What?” He answered curtly.

                _“It’s about time that you answered. Shit.”_ There was annoyance in the blonde’s voice, which was new even for him. Usually, he took the Uchiha’s difficultness with humor. But that wasn’t the case this time around. _“I’ve been trying to call you for ages. I have a message to pass on to you.”_

“From who?” Sasuke asked.

                _“Darren Merid. You know…”_

This immediately interested him. It was odd that the boy wanted to speak to him, given that they didn’t really get along well. The boy detested Sasuke, according to Neji. He tried to avoid him with all of his might. “What does Darren want with me?”

                He could almost hear Naruto shrug, him being just as oblivious as Sasuke. “Not sure. All I know is that he wants you to meet him at the park at six. It’s important, he said.”

                Sasuke couldn’t fight the smirk crossing his face. This would be interesting. “Fine then…” Challenge accepted. He knew that this wouldn’t end too well. He and Darren had clashed once or twice before, enough to know that the boy was a sharp-tongued individual who didn’t mind being too blunt or harsh. This surely would liven up his Sunday.

                “ _Really?”_ Naruto asked, somewhat surprised by the boy’s willingness. _“You’ll meet him?”_

                “Yeah. It has to be important if the princess is asking for _me,_ right? Let’s see what he has to say.”

                _“Alright. I’ll let him know. And Sasuke?”_

“What?”

                _“Be nice. He’s a cool guy.”_

“I never said that I didn’t like him. It’s him who starts it most of the time. All I do is finish it.”

                _“Still. Be nice. At least for Neji.”_

                “Whatever, dobe.”

 

 

 

 

                Darren and Xira were mirror images of one another. Almost twins. The only thing that really set them apart were their genders. Darren was still beautiful. A little taller than Xira, with the same skin and dark hair, which was a little straighter than hers, but almost just as long. But the thing that Sasuke noticed, was that he did not have the girl’s eyes. He didn’t have the same large, hopeless eyes as his cousin. His were darker, with a look that reminded him of a bird of prey.

                “You’re the one who drove Xira home, aren’t you?” He asked just as Sasuke approached him. Blunt. Straight to the point. He didn’t even look at the Uchiha, sure of his answer. 

                “Yeah.” Sasuke answered. “I drove her home.”

                Darren let out a long sigh.

                “My grandmother,” He started after a long pause. “Is a spiritual person. She has always believed in the unbelievable. Xira and I always dismissed what she told us. All the tall tales of supernatural things and night terrors. We just thought she was a hippie who’d yet to grow out of her phase. She always talked about spirits and ‘powers’ and stuff like that.” He laughed humorlessly. “We’d always thought she was crazy when she went on about ‘the craft’ and stuff like that. I never took her seriously. But then… You guys came.”

                He finally snatched his gaze from the lake. The sun danced beautifully on its water. It was a nice day. A blue sky and a green field stretching for yards upon yards. The most natural place in the whole city for miles, until you reached city limits.

                “You guys came.” He started again. “And little by little, things started to make more sense. And it scared the shit out of me. Because it meant that my crazy grandmother wasn’t so crazy after all. And that there is such a thing as ‘the craft’ and that all the ‘black magic voodoo nonsense’ is all too real.”

                Sasuke listened on. He wondered where the boy was going with all this, but didn’t interject. It had to be the most serious he’d ever seen him, which was somewhat unnerving.

                “Yesterday, Xira invited me out to eat. And she asked me right off the bat something strange. She asked me… If I was still alive.” Another dry laugh followed. “My cousin is so cute. Of course she’d ask me something like that. And I was so confused. ‘Of course,’ I said. ‘Why would I not be?’ And now that I think about it, I’m glad that there was no one else around to hear. She began to go on and on about _everything_ that happened.” He finally looked at Sasuke. “ _Everything._ The hospital playing tricks. The ‘wolf’. You biting her.” His eyes narrowed with the last statement. “She told me everything that you said after that. That you exposed yourself to her, therefor exposing the rest of _us._

                “Surprisingly, I wasn’t too concerned about her knowing about us. I guess it was only a matter of time… I was actually more concerned about what was chasing her…  And what you said about her blood. And all I could think was ‘oh no’ over and over again.

                “I’m scared. My grandmother always said the same thing about her. That she was ‘talented’. That there was something about my cousin. ‘The spirits liked her.’ She always said.”

                Sasuke recalled the one word that the _thing_ from last night uttered. “ _Her.”_ It said. It wanted her for some reason.

                “When we were smaller, I always noticed that flowers always grew faster around the house where her room was. My grandmother always put her garden on that side, too, after realizing it.” He laughed. “But I never really knew why. My grandma would always put little charms above her doorway at night. Never her own, or mine. Just Xira’s. And she’d never let her go outside alone. She was always kept inside. Always sheltered. Not that Xira really noticed. She liked being inside anyway.

                “And so when she told me what you said about her blood… It finally clicked. And you realized it, too. She’s not safe… She’ll never be safe again. Who knows what else will come after her? Nanna was keeping her safe all along. But her dumbass brother won’t let her come close to Xira.”

                “Your grandma’s a witch? She mentioned that she practiced witchcraft…”

                “Did she? Yeah. She is. She practices Voodoo, to be more exact. Creepy, right?”

                “A little.”

                This was the first time he’d genuinely laughed during their whole conversation. “Yeah. I know.” His eyes fell upon something beyond Sasuke, behind him, which drew his attention behind him as well. Not too far off, they could see Neji, sauntering towards them down the nature trail they stood on. Darren smiled. Sasuke inwardly sighed, expecting the typical lovey-dovey get up that couples like them usually exhibited.

                “Sasuke.” Neji nodded, acknowledging his presence as he wrapped his arms around Darren. How cute, he thought sarcastically. But he nodded back.

                “Have you decided what you’re going to do yet?” He asked the boy in his arms. Darren paused, apparently thinking something over. He then turned to Sasuke once again, face like stone, those hawk-like eyes staring him down. “Tell me. What exactly were you planning when you told my cousin about us? Where were you going with it?”

                Sasuke didn’t feel the need to sugarcoat anything about his actions. He never had and didn’t feel the need to at that moment.

                “I felt as if she had the right to know. With blood like hers, chances are high that something else will come after her. She won’t be in the dark for long. And besides, someone like her would come in handy.”

                Darren sighed at this. “Of course, you’d be more concerned about that, rather than her well-being.” He scoffed. “Typical Sasuke.” He fell silent for a moment, staring at nothing in particular. His brain was hard at work.

                Then, he sighed again. “I won’t ask you to leave her alone. Because, I feel like if anything, you’d try to look after a person like her, with the blood she has. But please, watch what you say to her. She’s such a fragile person. Don’t do anything to hurt her.” He relaxed into his lover’s arms. “And you can even ask Neji. I’m a little strong for a person my size. So I’ll be able to correct any problems if they happen to arise.”

                “Is that a threat?” Sasuke smirked. “No,” Darren said, returning with another devilish smirk that almost made him seem cat-like. “It’s a promise.”

                At this moment, Neji interjected. “Please. I would prefer it if you two didn’t flirt. I’m right here.” Darren chuckled at this, turning his dark eyes up at Neji. “Awww. You know I only have eyes for you right? You’re my one and only.” And this was where Sasuke decided to take his leave. He wouldn’t admit it, but couples like that actually made him somewhat uncomfortable.

               

 

 

                 It was a good thing that Darren didn’t ask Sasuke to cut all ties with the girl, for that would’ve been ultimately impossible. She had a knack for always making her way back into his thoughts. And just when he’d finally stopped thinking about her and the honey-sweet nectar running through her veins, she’d suddenly contacted him. She called him that evening, not too long after the interesting conversation at the park.

                _“Sasuke?”_

“Yeah. It’s me.” He heard a nervous little laugh from the other end. “ _It’s just… I wanted to… Ask you something, if you don’t mind.”_

                “I don’t. What is it?”

                _“Well… I was just wondering… This is gonna be a pretty silly question… But I just wanted to know how old you are. You know? Like, how old you_ really _are. If you don’t mind, that is.”_

There was a pause. One breath. He found himself staring at the city view once again. Another breath. She listened intently, waiting for an answer.

                “Thirty-two. I was bit about fifteen years ago.” Another pause. Two more breaths.

                _“How have you been… Unnoticed for so long?”_ She asked.

                “We move around. At first, we lived in remote areas. This is the first time in a while since turning that I’ve been in civilization.”

                _“We?”_ She asked.

                “Yeah… We. I guess you can call it a coven, of some sorts. There are more of us than you think.”

                She went quiet once again.

                _“So… Darren… He’s like you now?”_

“Yeah. He turned that night, as well…”

                _“So he’s never going to age… He’s going to live forever…?”_ He could hear her voice waver and crack. This must have been something she’d been thinking about.  Something that had been ailing her.

                “Yeah…”

                She let out a quivering sigh.

                _“I see… Can I ask something else…?”_

“Sure.”

                _“Do you miss being human? Do you regret becoming what you are?”_

He found himself at a loss for words. He couldn’t answer that question. It was something he hadn’t really thought about. For fifteen years and he’d yet to even consider it. But now, he couldn’t help but think of it from a different angle.

                Forever was a long time.

He hadn’t aged a day. Fifteen years, and he still looked seventeen. And before he knew it, fifteen more would pass. Then thirty. Then sixty and soon he’d be hundreds of years old.

“Fuck…” He said. “I guess I’ve never thought about it until now… I guess that I can say that I don’t miss it yet. But soon, after a few more years… I guess that I’ll really start to notice that forever is a long time.”

_“It is…”_ She said. _“So… How big is your coven?”_ She asked.

He chuckled. “Coven… I don’t even think you can call it that. We’re like a disorganized, dysfunctional family. Some come and go. We’re rarely ever all together at the same time and place.”

_“That’s understandable. It’s easier to be inconspicuous that way.”_

“I guess… Right now, there are about twenty of us all together, including the wanderers.”

                _“Wow. That’s a big family all right. Who’s the oldest?”_ She was a curious one, he noticed. She asked question after question. But what was odd was that he didn’t really mind. He enjoyed her questions. She was like a child, learning about something new and interesting. “I’m not sure. I do know that we have a few who’re old enough to have witnessed the War of 1912.”

                _“Holy shit.”_

“Yeah. I think my brother and I are among, if not the youngest.”

                _“You have a brother?”_ Her voice lightened up at the mention of his older sibling. “Yeah. I do. He’s only older by about seven years. He’s not much older.”

                _“That’s a relief…”_ She said. _It’s not as lonely as I thought.”_

So that’s what it was. “It’s not lonely.” He replied. “One thing that happens after you turn is that you find kindred spirits. You know the saying ‘birds of a feather flock together’?”

                _“I see. That’s great then. Darren won’t be too lonely, huh? He’ll have another family, then.”_ Then, after a pause, she asks another question. _“I’m not bothering you, am I? I did suddenly call you out of the blue.”_

“Nah.” He said. “I’ve got nothing better to do. As we clarified earlier, I have all the time in the world…”

                _“I see. Then can you explain something else?”_

He sat down on his bed as he spoke to her. “Ask away.”

 

 

 

                For quite some time, his brother had been holed up in his room, talking away on the phone with some unknown person. And this was new for Sasuke, given that he wasn’t all that talkative, even with his own coven-brothers. So when this new development arose, Itachi found himself to be highly curious. He respected his brother’s privacy, but at the same time, the curiosity was beginning to ebb at him.

                He’d finally brought himself to part from the boy’s door when there was a knock at the door. He pulled himself away from the door and somewhat hoped that his brother would be in a sharing mood later on. He knew that this wouldn’t be the case, however. It was a false hope. Sasuke kept to himself often.

                He opened the door and smiled when he saw his lover’s face. “Long time, no see.” But Kisame merely shook his head. “You won’t be smiling for long…” He said in an exhausted voice, with tired eyes. Itachi shot him the most baffled look, unable to even reply. But his unsaid question was soon answered when he heard a brash, obnoxious voice from down the hall.

                “You brought Hidan?” Itachi asked.

                “First of all, Hidan invited himself. I would never do that to you and your glorious apartment. Second, Hidan _and_ Kakuzu. You know how they’re a package deal.” Itachi sighed, stared up into Kisame’s dark eyes, and shrugged. “The more the merrier, I guess. I’ve learned to accept it.” And with this, he allowed the man into the apartment. And not too far behind him was Hidan, followed by Kakuzu.

                He considered them all family. Hidan and Kakuzu and everyone else in his coven were close to his heart, them being the people who’d endured with them during the past fifteen years. But sometimes, his family could prove to be rather claustrophobic. He loved them, but sometimes they could be a real handful.

                Well… At least they brought alcohol. He would need it.

                “’Sup, Itachi. It’s been a while, huh?” Hidan said, plopping down onto the lavish couch in the living room. Itachi merely stared at the young man, rolling his eyes at the fact that he was entirely far too comfortable in his apartment. “No. I saw you Friday, remember?” Hidan shrugged. “Barely. You know that I was in no such condition to remember anything that night.”

                “Fair enough.” Itachi agreed as he and Kakuzu entered the kitchen. “I think the idiot missed you. You know how you’re his favorite person. A whole weekend is torture for him.” Kakuzu shared. Itachi snorted. Hidan shot up and sent him a glare. “I heard that, jackass.” He grumbled.

                “Is it not the truth?” He asked. Hidan merely threw himself back onto the couch. Itachi grimaced at the selection of alcohol that they’d brought along. “Beer?” He asked. “Oh, how classy.” He set it on the counter and left the kitchen, all previous interest in getting a little tipsy gone. He merely took a seat beside his love. “Where’s that brother of yours?” Kisame asked him. “In his room.” And in a lower voice he added, “He’s been talking to someone.” Kisame chuckled incredulously and matched his tone. “What? On the phone?” He asked. “What else, Kisa?”

                Kisame sat back in his seat. “Ah. That’s new. Wonder who it could be…” He snorted. “I bet it’s just eating you up on the inside, isn’t it?” Itachi sighed. “I know he’s never going to tell me. He never tells me anything.”

                “That’s because you always find out on your own. He doesn’t have to tell you anything, since you’re such a great brother.”

                “I guess.” Itachi shrugged. “But I can’t help but get a little nervous. Sasuke’s getting harder and harder to read with each passing year. He’s growing up.” With this, Kisame stared at the man beside him for a few seconds, a smile crossing his face. He let out a laugh. “Oh wow, that’s ironic.” And in an instant, the worry melted away. Itachi felt himself lighten up a little and smile at the oddness of his words. “I guess that is a little ironic.”

                At that moment, Hidan sharply rose from his seat, jarring all of them from whatever they’d been doing. He didn’t speak. He merely glanced around, looking for something. But he didn’t say. It was surreal, seeing him so serious for absolutely no reason whatsoever. His brows creased, eyes darting about.

                “What the hell is your deal?” Kisame asked, breaking the silence. But immediately, Hidan shushed him, bringing a cautious finger to his lips. And in a pensive, low voice, so low that it almost made the other three nervous, he asked, “Do you smell that?”

                Itachi shot a look at Kakuzu, who returned with an equally baffled look, and then answered. “No… I don’t smell anything, Hidan. Nothing other than the cheap beer that you decided to bring over.” Hidan shook his head. “Nah. No. That’s not it…” But he eased back down into his seat, that look of deep thoughts still plastered on his face.

                Sasuke finally emerged from his room, bag of dirty clothes in hand. He lowly greeted everyone in the room and continued on to the laundry room on the opposite side of the apartment. Itachi didn’t even bother asking him about the nearly hour-long conversation he’d just had, not wanting to be the clingy, smothering type. He pushed the thought of it out of his mind and continued on with the others.

                But Hidan remained quiet for just a bit longer, unable to ignore the faint, familiar scent in the air. He could only sit and notice how it happened to be coming from Sasuke.


End file.
